The Rangers might be shorthanded up front for the first round of the playoffs if the apparent second-period right leg injury that forced Ryane Clowe out of Thursday night’s 4-3 overtime playoff clinching victory over the Hurricanes does not heal within a week.

Clowe, who has been playing on the unit with Derick Brassard and Rick Nash, was helped off the ice with 7:43 to go in the second after engaging in a puck battle along the wall during a power play.

As per club policy, there was no postgame information provided about the winger’s status. Chris Kreider moved up from the fourth line on a semi-regular basis the rest of the way to fill the hole created by Clowe’s absence.

Brian Boyle, meanwhile, has not yet been cleared to skate, but the Rangers’ forward who Thursday night missed his fifth game also with a right knee injury, has at least made enough progress that he was doing off-ice training exercises yesterday without the brace he had been wearing since going down in Philadelphia on April 16.

The Rangers, who had been carrying the minimum 12 healthy forwards with Boyle and Derek Dorsett (broken clavicle sustained in Columbus) rehabbing, recalled Kris Newbury following the match.